1995 Dodge Ram 2500: Diesel Power Challenge Competitor McCoy Black

’95 Dodge Ram 2500, 5.9L Cummins

McCoy Black’s ’95 Dodge Ram 2500 was in pieces and waiting for assembly when he got the call notifying him that he was selected as a competitor for Diesel Power Challenge 2017. With two weeks left before heading out to Colorado, the engine and transmission were not installed, and the truck itself still needed paint and a rollcage. Despite the hurdles he had to overcome before getting to DPC 2017, McCoy says, “It is an amazing feeling to be selected for sure, and I’m super proud.”

McCoy’s rig is powered by a 5.9L Cummins engine with compound 76mm and 94mm turbochargers prepared by Industrial Injection. However, unlike other DPC 2017 competitors, McCoy is not using an intercooler. Internally, the 12-valve engine has stock-style pistons, CP Carrillo rods, and a 13mm girdle to keep everything solid. A 13mm P-pump from Industrial Injection supplies fuel to the 5x.025 injectors, and when a bit more power is needed, McCoy turns to the nitrous-oxide system and the .080 jets.

McCoy has worked with high-performance 5.9L Cummins engines for many years. His first 12-valve build was for a truck he built to compete with at sled pulls in North Carolina. Thanks to his engine-building experience, McCoy thinks he’ll be able to get 1,400 hp and 2,000 lb-ft of torque out of the Cummins in his DPC 2017 truck.

“I have had the opportunity to do a lot of this stuff before,” McCoy says about the event’s competitive segments. “I wouldn’t say I’m confident, just feeling good with what we have.” He thinks the required highway driving may give him the most problems, because “the truck does not handle well on the road.”

We’ll have to keep an eye on how the truck fares in DPC’s Fuel-Consumption/Driveability test, but regardless, it’ll be great to see McCoy’s unique Dodge with the other competitors.